Chapter 699: Powerful Attack
Seesaw.
In the tie-break, “6:4”, Djokovic had the second of three consecutive match points and also the fourth match point of the entire game. The world No. 1 entered the routine he is best at and most familiar with, a long round of tug-of-war.
This time, in the first zone, Djokovic finally changed his serve. He no longer insisted on attacking Gao Wen's forehand, but chose to suppress his backhand in the inner corner.
Gao Wen's return quality was average, but Djokovic did not rush to attack, but instead deployed his strategy -
Both players have a keen sense of defense and are able to launch a defensive counterattack at any time. At the same time, the layout of the hitting line is also very important.
It is also because of this that both players were unable to find good offensive opportunities.
Gawain tried a backhand attack, but Djokovic defended it easily. Djokovic also tried a forehand straight line to a blind spot, but Gawain used a two-handed backhand to hit a deep loop ball, which restricted the world No. 1's tactical intention of continuous attack.
After going back and forth, we were never able to break the deadlock.
Ten beats passed in the blink of an eye.
Fifteen beats, still a stalemate.
It was not until the 19th shot that Djokovic finally seized an opportunity. Gawain's return was a little less deep, just a little lacking. Then Djokovic suddenly and unexpectedly broke his balance and hit a small diagonal return with a two-handed backhand.
In this shot, Djokovic did not actively exert force, but controlled the landing point and line, directly pulling Gao Wen's feet out of the singles court.
Gao Wen, in a state of dismay.
Immediately afterwards, Djokovic's two-handed backhand completely gained the upper hand, and he launched three consecutive powerful attacks, suppressing Gao Wen's backhand.
Gawain tried to fight back, but there was no space. His feet were firmly pressed on the backhand by Djokovic. Considering that the entire forehand court was empty, his feet had to remain alert at all times. At the same time, Djokovic always chose to hit the ball with backspin to compress Gawain's return space, limiting Gawain's possibility of changing line through speed and strength.
If Gao Wen changes the line forcibly, the chance of the ball going into the net is very high.
Three beats.
Three consecutive shots!
Djokovic suppressed Gawain! Until Gawain hit a diagonal backhand with both hands, and he hit it hard. This time, the shot was of excellent quality, deep and off-center, almost pressing in the dead corner of the baseline, and it was suspected of being out of bounds.
Huh! The whole audience exclaimed.
But the linesman's gesture was firm: in bounds.
Djokovic was closest to the point where the ball would land, and he judged in a split second that it was within bounds, so he subconsciously hit the ball with a two-handed backhand.
This time, Djokovic's two-handed backhand was slightly squeezed, especially since he refused to step back. Then Gawain's deep return would inevitably squeeze his own swing, and the close combat had entered a white-hot stage.
Djokovic also realized that it was difficult to open up the situation with backhand pressure, so in the ever-changing confrontation, he decisively chose to change the line with a two-handed backhand:
Without hesitation, he pushed the ball in a straight line.
Unfortunately, because the hitting action was squeezed, the return effect was still a little lacking, and the line and landing point did not fully meet expectations, which also gave Gao Wen a chance to catch his breath.
Gao Wen's attention was always on protecting his forehand position, and his reflexive movement was very timely. Although his steps were a little slow, his forehand still successfully defended Djokovic's shot.
Slash returns slash.
As a result, the battleground between the two sides shifted from backhand to forehand.
"Forehand VS Forehand", one round.
"Forehand VS Forehand", two rounds.
Both players seemed a little more cautious in their forehand shots, especially at the end of the second set when their physical strength declined and the stability of their forehand shots obviously decreased, so they were more careful in their shots. The intensity of the entire confrontation was not as high as that of the backhand, and they were both trying to control the landing point and line, so the confrontation was very subtle.
Then, Djokovic took the lead in breaking the balance.
Whoosh! Djokovic's forehand was very strong and the entire return was light and thin. The regular diagonal line immediately turned into a light and small diagonal line.
The ball landed directly on the outside change line of Gao Wen's right serving area, hit the line, bounced off the ground, and then drew a full parabola to rotate outward.
A small diagonal line and a strong side spin, almost equivalent to a return shot from a serve, the world's number one was still able to hit such a magical ball in the fierce confrontation and long rounds, once again successfully causing exclamations from the audience.
Huh! Gawain was running at full speed, and even though his footsteps were right on his forehand, he still realized the subtlety of Djokovic's return.
First, Gao Wen needs to rush forward slightly diagonally at a 45-degree angle, because the return line is too short. If he continues to stand at the baseline, he may not be able to receive the ball at all.
Secondly, while waiting for Gawain to arrive, Djokovic's hitting rotation has been fully released and the hitting height should be near the head.
This is more than just awkward.
What to do? Sprint! Push off the ground! Jump!
Take off.
Gawain didn't hesitate at all. He jumped high up and swung his windmill with his forehand like Thor's hammer, smashing it down hard.
It is difficult to exert force after the body loses support from the ground, but it still relies on the inertia of the forward momentum and the weight of the body to completely superimpose it from top to bottom.
Swing! Hit! Explode!
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Hammer.
Burn your boats! Find a way out of a dead end! Use a ruthless way of hitting the ball, find an almost impossible line in a desperate situation, and complete the shot.
straight line.
Gawain chose the straight line.
In fact, judging from the hitting line and height, the diagonal line is the wise choice.
But Gao Wen knew that Djokovic was waiting at the diagonal position; moreover, he had lost his balance and position. Djokovic only needed to complete the return again and the tennis ball would return to his own court. Then Djokovic would be able to score and win the game.
The script has been written.
But the problem is that Gao Wen doesn't like endings written by others. This is a duel, and the ending should be written by both players together.
Even if the outcome is the same, at least Gawain can choose the way to the end -
He wanted to fight, he needed to fight, and he chose to fight to the end.
Instead of conservatively hitting the diagonal line and then waiting for Djokovic to reap the victory, Gao Wen chose to take the initiative and use his own hands to fight for a chance of survival.
So, straight line.
He was very firm and resolute, the whole move was natural and done in one go, the power was released instantly, and the racket head speed was instantly increased to the extreme.
Boom! The tennis ball flew out, dragging a long tail like a comet.
Aim at the blind spot at the bottom line of the straight line and run away.
Then--
Like Mars hitting the Earth, the tennis ball hit the court hard.
On the other side of the net, Djokovic, who was waiting in the forehand position, started immediately, but the whole prediction error made him slow in his steps. He had just taken a step when his heart stopped beating and turned to look at the linesman at the baseline.
The world just became quiet, everything was silent: the referee clasped his hands together and looked determined, this was a good ball.
Wow! In an instant, all the colors in the world burst out, even the sound disappeared, and only the gorgeousness surged all over the sky and the earth, like a torrential rain.
Within the boundary, it is actually within the boundary!
Gao Wen fought hard and scored another winning point: the fourth match point, successfully saved! (End of this chapter)